HMS Cambrian (R85)

History
United Kingdom
Name:	Cambrian
Ordered:	16 February 1942
Builder:	Scotts, Greenock
Laid down:	14 August 1942
Launched:	10 December 1943
Completed:	17 July 1944
Commissioned:	17 July 1944
Recommissioned:	1963
Decommissioned:	1968
Renamed:	Built as HMS Spitfire Renamed HMS Cambrian before launch
Identification:	Pennant number: R85 initially, but changed to D85 in 1945
Motto:	Parves pars magna: 'Of a small people I am a great part'.
Honours and awards:	Navarino 1827 - China 1860 - Arctic 1944
Fate:	Arrived at Briton Ferry breaker's yard for scrapping, 3rd September 1971
Badge:	On a Field White, On a mount Green the Dragon of Wales.
General characteristics
Class and type:	C-class destroyer
Displacement:	1,710 tons (standard) 2,520 tons (full)
Length:	363 ft (111 m) o/a
Beam:	35.75 ft (10.90 m)
Draught:	10 ft (3.0 m) light, 14.5 ft (4.4 m) full
Propulsion:	2 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30,000 kW), 2 shafts
Speed:	37 knots (69 km/h)
Range:	615 tons oil, 1,400 nautical miles (2,600 km) at 32 knots (59 km/h)
Complement:	186
Armament:	Initial 3 × QF 4.5 in (114 mm) L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns on twin mount "Hazemeyer" Mk.IV, or; 4 × anti-aircraft mountings; Bofors 40 mm, single mount Mk.III QF 2 -pdr Mk.VIII, single mount Mk.XVI Oerlikon 20 mm, single mount P Mk.III Oerlikon 20 mm, twin mount Mk.V 2 × pentuple tubes for 21 in (533 mm) torpedoes Mk.IX 4 throwers and 2 racks for 96 depth charges From 1963 3 × QF 4.5 in L/45 guns Mark IV on mounts CP Mk.V 2 × Bofors 40 mm L/60 guns 6 × Squid anti-submarine mortars (after modernization) 1 × Twin 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft mount (Mk 5)

HMS Cambrian was a C-class destroyer of the Royal Navy, ordered on 16 February 1942. She was originally to be named HMS Spitfire but this was changed to Cambrian before launch to fit her revised class name. She was the seventh British Warship to have had this name. She was adopted by the Civil Community of Colwyn Bay, Wales, as part of the Warship Week programme.

Wartime service

On commissioning Cambrian was allocated to the 6th Destroyer Flotilla with the Home Fleet and took part in Russian and Atlantic convoys. In 1945 she was allocated for service in the Far East at the close of the Second World War, but joined the Fleet in Trincomalee after VJ-Day.^[1]

Post war service

Following the war Cambrian paid off into reserve. Along with other Ca group destroyers, she was selected for modernistion in 1963. Work included a new enclosed bridge and Mark 6M gunnery fire control system, as well as the addition of two triple Squid anti-submarine mortars.^[2]

In January 1964 Cambrian saw operational service off the coast of East Africa, as part of the operation to quell the mutiny by the Tanganyika Rifles. The destroyer operated as part of a force, along with the aircraft carrier Centaur, which landed Royal Marines from 45 Commando. Cambrian used her three 4.5-inch guns to provide naval gunfire support.^[3]

Decommissioning and disposal

Cambrian at Briton Ferry for scrapping, 1971

Cambrian was paid off in 1968. She was subsequently sold to Thomas W. Ward Ltd arriving at their breaker's yard at Briton Ferry for scrapping on 3 September 1971.

References

1. Mason, Geoffrey B. (2004). Gordon Smith, ed. "HMS Cambrian (R 85) - Ca-class Destroyer". naval-history.net. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
2. Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen Ltd. pp. 57–62.
3. Lawrence, Tony (2007). The Dar Mutiny of 1964. Book Guild Publishing. pp. 160–162.

Publications

• Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
• Marriott, Leo (1989). Royal Navy Destroyers Since 1945. Ian Allen Ltd. ISBN 0-7110-1817-0.

External links

• HMS Cambrian Association website